Nightshade
by silverwritinggoddess
Summary: Edward is gone. The Cullens are gone. Why? Why did they all abandon her? Sakura deals with the pain by fighting ghosts of the past with precision and brutality with Circe's influence. Then the boy with the brilliant smile, Jacob, shines a light she hasn't seen in ages. Watch as Sakura fights her way through the shadows of despair. Will she win or will she succumb to the darkness?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back to my Sailor Moon/Twilight crossover series! This is a re-write of Shadows of the Moon. The first half of my story is basically from Shadows of the Moon, with a few exceptions...these exceptions come from Twilight Angel. Circe will have more presence in a couple of chapters. If you have no idea who Circe is, please read Twilight Angel first. Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

I'm never really the type to celebrate birthdays. They are nothing but excuses to cause commotions. Alice, of course, wants everyone to celebrate my physical age, even though they all know I'm over 900 years old and you can never really win against her. So I figure I might as well humor her and go ahead with this. If I was back in Tokyo, the girls, if they were still alive, would be throwing me a birthday party as well so I guess it's really a no-win situation. Plus, I love Alice, just as much as I loved the girls.

"You're not excited." Edward says. "It's your birthday."

"I'm not really the type to celebrate my birthday." I say.

School is back in session after a long summer. I had gone home to Japan for awhile and visited Takuya's grave. Usagi had convinced me to go back and see him, despite his own spirit having been destroyed. It wasn't easy and old emotions had swelled like a raging storm, but in the end, it had been the right thing to do. I wanted him to know that I hadn't forgotten him and that I still loved him. Even opened up about Edward. Everything I had bottled up came out, a floodgate of words, love and emotion poured out of me and my soul had never felt so light. I might have imagined it but I thought I had felt something soft and tender, like a kiss, upon my cheek when I left the grave. Despite that, a burden had lifted. It also helped me appreciate the presence of the girls's spirits more. At least, I have them yet. They hadn't been lost to a demon.

Everyone at school is no longer surprised that Edward and I are together. It's commonplace for us to be together everywhere we go. A lot of relationships have changed over the summer, like Mike and Jessica, for example. They had broken up and are now in that awkward, just-friends stage at the moment. Angela and her relationship with this guy called Ben seems to be very strong. I'm not as well-versed as Venus might be in pair bondings but their bonding is very bright, which is a very good sign. Everyone else just sat away from us on one end of our table, now that the older Cullens have graduated from school They were the intimidating ones and now that they are gone, everyone has started to sit at the same table Edward, Alice, and I sit at.

The afternoon comes and goes as it always does and soon enough, I'm on my way home to watch some _Romeo and Juliet_ for an English assignment. Edward, from what I can see, has very little patience with Romeo. He goes on to explain how Romeo is in love with Rosaline but goes on to kill Juliet's cousin...yada, yada, yada. I tune him out but he easily recaptures my attention with his own little performance. I can never get enough of his sweet, silky voice.

"There's one thing that I do envy about Romeo."

"That he has a very attractive female?"

"No. I'm speaking about the ease of suicide. Humans have it so easy."

"What...the...fuck? Edward Cullen..."

"Let me finish. The thought of suicide...it was something I had to think about."

He explains to me that Carlisle had once tried to end his own existence after he had been changed. He had tried various means but failed numerous times. I'm baffled. I'm not sure what he means by he had to think about it. I look at Edward and he continues to say that while he had hoped to find me alive during that fiasco with James, he was also creating a contingency plan if he didn't. A contingency plan?

"I'm not going to live with out you, Sakura-chan." Edward says quietly. "If you had died, I would have found a way to join you in the other world."

Excuse me? He seems to have forgotten that my soul is eternal (not to mention I have an annoying demon who won't let me die as easily). If I die, I can still be reborn as Adachi Sakura. I have not told him that I would be without my memories of him and the rest of the Cullen family. Now, I'm glad that I haven't told him about it. It would just give him another idea to make an attempt to stay away from me. Sure, I'll be happy to respect his wishes but if we are truly meant to be together, fate will find a way to bring him back to me and I to him.

"I was thinking of a way to provoking the Volturi into ending me."

"Volturi?"

Edward nods. He explains to me that they are considered to be the closest thing to a royal family. He says it's kind of a warped and very twisted version of Crystal Tokyo. They rule with very firm hands and police the vampire world. Carlisle had apparently stayed with them for a time before coming to America to settle. I had seen some pictures of his early history in his personal office on that first day and saw three figures who stood out to me the most-the ones Edward called Marcus, Caius, and Aro. He hadn't referred to them as the Volturi then.

"You _never_ irritate them, unless you have a death wish."

"Where the hell do you get off, Cullen? Have you forgotten that I can come back from the dead?"

"No, I haven't."

"I think you have. I have stated that even if I do die, I come back. My soul is eternal. As long as the world needs me, I'll be back."

"The world...meaning me?" Edward asks, playfully.

"You know what I mean...but yes, you."

* * *

"Wow! This is beyond beautiful!"

We come upon the familiar home hidden deep in the woods. There are Japanese lanterns about the place, along with roses and...cherry blossoms? I ask Edward where his family had acquired them and he replied that they got them from Washington D.C. Washington D.C have a Cherry Blossom festival in the spring and they somehow manage to snag some for my birthday. They remind me so much of home that I hug my golden boy tightly.

"Your name means 'Cherry Blossom' after all," Edward says. "It's only fitting."

The house is beautifully decorated. There are roses everywhere, along with some Orchids and Cherry Blossom petals everywhere. It is so fragrant that I feel like I have stepped into paradise. As soon as Alice steps forward to wish me a happy birthday, I pounce on her with a hug. Her laugh is just musical as she jokes about how she's supposed to be the one to jump on me. Everyone greets me warmly. Rosalie is just Rosalie though she's not giving me her typical glare at me for a change.

"We tried to keep her under control." Carlisle says with a grin.

"Time to open presents." Alice announces.

My first present is a moonstone pendant. The chain is silver and the moonstone is glittering brightly with the many colors of the rainbow. Edward had bought it for me during one of his weekend 'camping' trips. I'm about to open my next present when I managed to get myself a paper cut and that's when everything goes straight to hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Jasper charges at me and just as I make a move to stop him myself, Edward shoves me to the side and I land into a glass table. That just makes things worse and now there are six hungry vampires in the house. Thank goodness for Carlisle's expertise in keeping cool and collected. He orders Emmett and Rose to take Jasper out of the house. Esme, who's clearly distressed, follows them out of the house with an apology for me. There's no need for her to apologize. I knew what I was getting into. Carlisle takes me to the kitchen to check my arm and works on getting the glass shards out of my arm before my healing abilities kick in.

Edward is looking far paler than he usually does. I don't like the look on his face. It's troubled and full of conflict and that usually means he's cooking something up. I tell him to go outside to get fresh air but he refuses to budge, stubborn jackass. Alice tells him to go out and be useful for once but he still isn't moving. Finally, Carlisle tells him to go out to find Jasper. Poor Jasper. He must be really upset with himself. I really can't blame him.

 _He was only acting as a natural vampire would._ Circe says.

"Can't seem to do anything right around you guys these days." I sigh.

"It's not your fault." Carlisle says reassuringly. "It's not like you asked for this."

"Perhaps not." I agree. "Then again, I knew what I was getting into. Besides, I've faced creatures far deadlier than vampires."

The two of us say nothing before I ask him what drove him into his current profession. It's a very curious thing...a vampire as a doctor? It almost sounds like a story line for a bad comedy movie. I can imagine that it took him years and years of practice to ignore the scent of blood. Carlisle tells me that his father, who was a clergyman, had a very set way of viewing the world...one that he-the good doctor-started to question by the time he had changed.

We delve into the world of religion and of being ostracized. Edward had mentioned that his adoptive father had been hunted down by the so-called god-fearing men. Somehow, he had escaped from them by hiding in a pile of potatoes for three days. Now that's impressive. He kept silent as he transitioned from human to vampire during those three days. Oddly enough, I can sympathize with the Cullen clan. None of them chose this life. Carlisle had made some very difficult decisions in those early days and they were out of compassion and loneliness.

 _Carlisle, my hat's off to you._

Edward comes into the office to fetch me home. His face is expressionless and that worries me. I know he's very upset about what happened tonight but this house is full of vampires. I'm the only one who has a beating heart and blood that vampires would-if you pardon the expression-kill for. I catch Alice nearby and ask about Jasper. Her answer is, of course, one that I expect it to be.

"He's very unhappy with himself."

"Tell him it's not his fault. He was merely acting on natural instinct."

"I will."

I pick up all of my birthday presents and head out the door. Both Esme and Carlisle bid me a somber goodnight. However, it feels more like a goodbye. I always follow my instincts and I know that something else is going to happen. Something that will hurt my soul for a time. I sigh. I better brace for whatever is coming my way.

* * *

Now I know something is wrong. The kisses Edward and I shared last night felt desperate and rushed. That is not like him. Today at school, he was silent and withdrawn. I can't shake the feeling of dread that's coming upon me. To make matters worse, there were no signs of Alice or the rest of the Cullen clan around. I inquire about Alice and Jasper and Edward tells me that they are currently in Alaska with the Denali clan.

"I hope he's alright."

Edward says nothing. I suppose I can understand that but Jasper, in all sense of the word, is still his brother. Just because he slipped up doesn't mean he should be subjected to the silent treatment. I wish I could talk to the mysterious vampire and tell him that he's forgiven and that he had a lapse in judgement. We all have our weak moments...just as I had a weak moment during that clash with James.

 _Your Edward is hiding something, pet._

For once, I actually agree with Circe. Things feel so wrong now. My golden boy is ignoring me and completely shutting me down. Is this how Usagi felt when her Mamoru, now the late King Endymion, ignored her? I never felt so lonely, except when Takuya died. No...no...he just couldn't...Edward? Why are you leaving? I don't know if I can handle this. Fucking asshole. Damn coward. He's trying to cut me out of his life!

 _Confront him._

"Edward," I say. "I need a word with you in private."

He looks at me in surprise at the urgent tone in my voice. We agree to skip school for the rest of the day and head down to the woods. The woods offer a very good private place for a talk and, possibly, a clobbering. I don't have time to feel sad. Right now, I just want to take my anger out on the golden idiot that supposedly calls himself my boyfriend.

"So tell me, Edward," I say. "Since when is bailing out on your girlfriend acceptable?"

"You don't belong in my world." He replies dully.

"Excuse me, asshole. I'm a supernatural being myself so there's no need to tell me that bullshit."

Edward's face contorts in pain. I have no lingering sympathy for him. He made his bed so now he must lie in it. I am a soldier. I have learned the hard way that emotions have no place on the battlefield. I see this confrontation as a battle and Edward as the enemy. I deal with traitors accordingly. I won't let him see me at my weakest. That would be a major mistake. Instead of killing him, though, I just settle with punishing him with words...like he's punishing me with his. Besides, all the things I want to do to him would result in his death...not that he doesn't deserve it, mind you.

"We can't be together." He continues.

"You're right." I agree. "I don't want to be with a coward."

Then it all hits me. The rest of the Cullens are never coming back and that hurts. I look straight at Edward, who refuses to look at me, and I know he's the one responsible for making everyone leave. I growl angrily. A burning sensation tingles on my forehead and I know that the kanji for 'night' is making itself known to my ex-boyfriend. I'm almost sure that my eyes have gone magenta, too. I feel Circe rising to the surface. It's a reminder to him of what I am and what I am capable of. I could easily tear him to bits.

 _Give in, little one. Claim my power as your own._ Circe whispers.

"This soldier does not need a coward on the battlefield. Now leave."

Shock registers on his beautiful face before resignation settles in before he turns around and disappears. I sigh and lie against a tree. Mental exhaustion takes hold of me and sleep overtakes me. Not tears, but sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

It has been at least four months since the Cullens left. The official story that's going around town is that Dr. Cullen had been offered a job in Los Angeles and that they had needed him badly so he took it. Los Angeles? Yeah, right. Oh, well. I really don't give a damn about them anymore and neither do the La Push boys, apparently. They had a bonfire after the Cullens left so I figure they had been celebrating their departure. The police chief, apparently, wasn't happy about it since he got a couple of complaints about it.

And speaking of the La Push boys, after I had fallen asleep in the woods, a couple of them had been hiking in that area and found me snoozing. One of them, who I later found out was Sam Uley, had picked me up and kept me warm as they took me home. Billy Black had told them where I live so that's how they knew where to take me...and that's another reason why I'm doubling down on my training. I hadn't picked up on the boys' presence in the area. I must have been really exhausted but that's no excuse to be falling down on the job. I take my training very seriously and if I feel that improvements are necessary then I will train, sometimes for days at a time.

I almost had panic attack not too long ago, which very rarely happens, but it was not from being abandoned, surprisingly, which is one of my triggers when I do have one. No. The trigger, this time, happened to be a nightmare I had with James in it. In my nightmare, Edward and I are together in our meadow, holding each other, before James comes from behind Edward and kills him. Afterwards, I'm left at his mercy. I can still hear his voice as he purrs in delight at me being left alone. I have no access to my power stick. He incapacitates me by breaking my leg, all the while as he inhales my scent.

"You'll make a lovely addition to my coven."

In my dream, he bites me in three places. He bites me in my wrist, my neck and my thigh and he's taunting me as he bites me. No more Edward to save me, he says. I'm at his mercy, now. Abandoned, all alone and...all his. It's this last part where he digs his teeth into my thigh. It's a sexual representation of his intention of making me his mate. I'm sure that if he had destroyed the Cullens, and turned me into a vampire, he would have made the most of the word 'mate.' The very thought of it makes my blood boil.

I stayed in Tokyo for a little while to see if I could ease my pain and it was there that I took on some youma on my own. I didn't waste anytime with corny introductions. All I did was chop their heads off in one fell swoop. I had no sympathy for the enemies that came my way. I merely executed them without a thought. This concerned my ghostly friends. I told them that I was fine and that they need not to worry about me. Of course, Venus didn't buy my bullshit and neither did Usagi.

"It's like losing Takuya all over again, Venus," I told her. "Only this time, he chose to leave."

Mars and Jupiter entered the conversation and wished that they could make his life miserable. It was nice to talk to them about it. It hurts, yes, but I can go on without him just fine. I spent several centuries of my immortal life without a man. I will reclaim my independence and live my life as I originally intended. I don't need a man in my life.

* * *

"Argh! Fuck it! This just won't do at all!"

I'm tired of having no one else to visit. I suppose that's my own fault but most of the students here are so superficial that it's painful to be friends with. Angela is the only one that I hang out with these days but she has Ben to think about as well so I can't really monopolize her time, either. She has a life to live, too, so who else can I hang out with? Sometimes, being solitary can be a boon but, again, that's a personal choice and it's a choice that I prefer most of the time.

 _You seem to forget I'm here._ Circe whines.

As I'm thinking about it, I look at a pair of bikes that I picked up from a kid recently and it suddenly hits me. Jacob could probably use these for another one of his projects. It'll give me an excuse to see him. I know I might see Billy over there and, quite frankly, I really don't give a damn. He got what he wanted so there should be no reason for him to remind me of it. I sigh and head out the door to my truck.

I recently bought a good, solid truck and I'm glad I did. I load the bikes up and strap them down before I head over to Jacob's place. I really don't need directions since I can very easily track down his beautiful aura. As soon as I park my truck, his head pokes out of his house and stares curiously before he sees me. His warm, goofy smile simply makes my day far more bearable and makes it easier for me to smile. I'm kind of scared that he'll leave, too, and abandon me. I sigh and push that thought aside. I'm not going to ruin my visit with Jacob.

 _Quite a handsome boy._

"Hey, Jacob!" I greet him. "Wow! You're a giant!"

"Six-five, almost six-six." He says with a grin.

"You're still lanky, though."

"Genetics."

Billy greets me at the door with a kind smile, which surprises me, but it's hard not to return it. I'm somewhat at ease and it feels good. We speak congenially for a little bit before I tell him my purpose for my visit, which is to see Jacob. I'm pretty sure that his smile on his face hurt him. He's smiling so big. It's kind of cute, really. The old man invites me to stay for dinner, which I accept. Maybe today won't be so bad after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Dinner had been great but now Jacob and I can get to work on the bikes. He seems to be a little surprised that I have experience in mechanics but he's down with it. He delighted, actually, because now he has another person to discuss cars with. Heh. It helps having known a race car driver, who is very well-versed in the subject. I also got to test drive her vehicles and ride her bikes when she was still alive. As a result, she bought me motorcycle as a mock birthday present one year.

"Is that a Rabbit?"

Jacob and I arrive at his garage, which is nothing more than two giant sheds built into one, and there sits this 1986 Rabbit. Haruka has very well trained me in her world of cars, I'll have you know. My companion looks at me surprised before grinning at me, nodding. He tells me it's a classic, which it is, and that he's been working on it. It's almost finish now and that it helped that his father got him the parts that he needed for them last spring.

 _Last spring..._

Billy had paid him to come break Edward and I up and to deliver a message. Well, he need not have worried about that since I was the one who ended up breaking it off. Ah well. I ask Jacob if he knows anything about motorcycles. He looks up at me curiously, shrugs, and says that he has a friend, named Embry, who knows about such stuff. He has a dirt bike, Jacob explains, and that they work on it together when they have the time.

"Why?"

"Just got my hands on a set of bikes. They're not in the greatest condition, mind you."

I ask him if he could get the two running. I tell him that they're on my truck, ready for him to take a look at anytime. Jacob grins at me. He has this look that says that he's ready for a challenge. I grin back at him. His smile is very infectious. How can you not like a boy like Jacob? I can talk to him for hours on end and not get tired. He doesn't really need any prodding from me either. He keeps on talking about his sophomore classes in school and about the real good friends he has.

"What are their names?"

"Quil and Embry."

"Interesting names."

Jacob comes to my truck and appraises the bikes. I know that I have something good on me and my companion confirms it when he tells me that one of them is a Harley Sprint. They were produced from 1969 to 1974. It cost only $800 back then but now, and fully restored, it's worth upwards to $4000. I decide to let him have it. He's excited before his face drops in sadness. He's disappointed that we have to save up for parts. Excuse me, my friend, but I beg to differ. I just can't bear to see sadness on his face.

"I've plenty of money saved." I say. "I can fund this little project."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Great!"

It's not very hard to please Jacob.

* * *

"Are you legal, Jake?" I ask. "When's your birthday?"

"You just missed it." He says. "Just turned sixteen."

"Mine was not too long ago either. I'm nineteen."

 _Physically. Chronologically, I'm not._

Jake pulled the other bike apart right away. This bike would be my bike and I'm happy. I love classic bikes. Sure, I love the one Haruka had given me for my birthday but nothing beats the older models. I'm sitting on the passenger side of the Rabbit so I wouldn't have to sit on the ground, which is really nice of Jacob to suggest. I ask about Quil and Embry's respective names and he chuckles. Quil's name had passed down to him and Embry...well, he was named after some soap opera star. He warns me not to make fun of them; otherwise, they'll tag team me and fight dirty. I grin.

"Jacob! You out here, dude?"

"Speak of the devil." He mutters.

Two boys enter the garage and they have nice dark skin, like Jacob's. One of them is much like my companion, slender and just as tall. The other one, on the other hand, is more burly and a tad bit shorter. His shirt is clearly tight and he's very aware of that fact. They are caught off guard when they see me. The taller one has no idea what to make of Jacob and me but the other one just keeps his eyes on me. He's clearly a flirt.

"Oh, hey guys." Jake greets them.

"Hey, Jake." The shorter one says, winking at me.

I can't help but grin. He is an imp. He introduces himself to me as Quil Ateara and the other one introduces himself as Embry Call. He's kind of shy. He just waves at me and shoves his hand into his jeans pocket before turning his attention to our current project. As soon as Jacob says the word 'bike,' the two boys are paying full attention. It's totally fun to hear the two ask him a lot of questions. They are so into it that it's fun just watching their expressions light up with joy as they learn from their friend. Best friend, actually. They have a tight bond and I don't really need to see the bonds to know that.

 _With all of these young men around you, pet, you have quite a selection. I'm jealous._

 _You? Jealous? HA!_

"I think I need to go." I finally say.

"Sorry, Sakura." Jacob apologizes. "Were we boring you?"

"Not at all." I smile at him. "Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"See you around then."

As soon as I step out of the garage, I can hear Quil release a wolf-whistle, followed by a couple of jibes from Embry. Jake playfully threatens them if that they step onto his land tomorrow that they would be in for it.

The next day is spent digging around in junkyards, looking for parts necessary for putting our bikes together, and it's great fun! I don't think I ever spent this kind of time with Edward when we were together. Oh, well. Unlike Edward, Jake is far more open and talkative. Spending time with him makes time pass quickly. It's mid-afternoon when we get back with our treasure. Billy is not at home so we don't worry about having to hide everything. Once everything is unloaded, Jacob sets to work.

We spend the day chatting about everything and anything that comes to mind. Too soon, though, the night has come. Don't get me wrong. I love the night. It is my element, but it also signifies that another day with the boy with the brilliant smile has come and gone. Billy, once again, invites me to dinner. This time, we're surrounded by a bunch of people I haven't met yet. I'm introduced to the Clearwaters. Harry, Sue and their two kids, Leah and Seth.

Leah is an attractive looking girl, who reminds me of Raye-chan, with fiery dark eyes. Like much of the people I have met already, she has beautiful copper skin and dark hair. However, I can sense a lingering hostility in her aura. Something terrible must have happened. As for Seth...ah, Seth. He's fourteen years old and clearly idolizes Jacob. It's kind of adorable to see him try to insert himself into our conversations. He doesn't want to be left out, so I spent most of the dinner party getting to know him a little bit. Unfortunately, Washington being Washington, rain eventually broke everything up.

"Thank you, Jacob!" I tell him.

"You'll be over tomorrow, right?" He asks brightly.

"Of course. I'll be bringing my homework, though."

"Sure."

"See you around!"

Tomorrow is another day and one that I look forward to.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite my growing happiness, the nightmares of James and Edward keep rearing their ugly heads. Per usual, Edward is killed by James before said murder incapacitates me. This dream is rather different. Instead of him breaking my leg, he does exactly what he had done to me in real life. He slams me into the ground and cracks my skull open. He's all over me, lapping up every drop of blood that drips down onto my face. Again, he taunts me like he always does in previous dreams before he bites my neck, my wrist and my thigh.

"You'll make a lovely addition to my coven."

I can feel that familiar, burning sensation of venom running through my veins. If one didn't have the high pain tolerance that I have, the burning could be described as excruciating. Nevertheless, it's painful. My heart is beating very fast as I become somewhat aware of red eyes watching me convulse in pain before the weight of a heavy, cold body settles on me, easing the burning. I know what he wants and it's right before he strikes...that I wake up in a cold sweat.

 _After all of this time, he still haunts my consciousness._

Thankfully, it's close enough to my wake up call so I simply just shut the alarm off and go off for a hot shower. I know I shouldn't be shaken up by a dream but the dream had been so different and so graphic that I can't help but dwell on it a little bit. James had come so dangerously close to...I can't even think of the word. I take deep breaths to calm myself down ad concentrate on my hot shower.

 _You should take a lover, pet. Your mind will be haunted with other thoughts._

 _Not now, Circe._

 _Fine. You can't say that I don't help my host._

 _Ugh._

* * *

My fourth hour class got out late so the table that I usually sat at was pretty darn full but a few of them made room for me. I try to catch up with the latest conversations before I hear Lauren asking where Ben is. According to Angela, he's at home with the flu. Poor guy. I send a silent prayer of healing to speed his recovery time up before Jessica decides to ask what her plans for the weekends are...not that she cares, mind you. It's just a good excuse to share some of her stories.

"We were going to have a picnic, but we changed our minds after we saw something." She says.

Now this is interesting. I'm about to ask what she saw before Lauren decides to be a bitch and mock Angela for it. Like the idiot she is, Jessica gets in on it as well and I'm fucking pissed off. I fucking hate it when someone as sweet as Angela gets picked on. Angela thought she had seen a bear but everyone is dismissing her, saying that bears wouldn't get near the place she had been planning to go. Such a sweet girl would never lie about such a thing and as such, I feel the need to put the idiots in their proper places. I will also admit that my temper has become much shorter since Edward left. What little tolerance I have for bullies has gone flying out the window.

"Angela is not the type of girl to lie." I say snappily.

"Please, you're saying that just because you feel sorry for her." Lauren sneers.

"Because she has to put up with a Class-A bitch like you, now shut the fuck up."

The table falls silent. Mike, who hasn't been paying attention the entire time, looks around curiously. Jessica's mouth is dropped, along with the rest of the students that sat with us and she's rendered speechless. I give Lauren a glare that is only reserved for my opponents on the battlefield and it does the trick. Her face goes pale, like the rest of her crew, and she shuts up. I look at Jessica and she's smart enough to look away be quiet. I sigh. I've been waiting to say that for a long time and it feels damn good to get that one off of my chest. Angela gives me a grateful smile. I smile back at her.

"Angela, how big was this thing?" I ask politely, silently easing Circe back into her cage.

"Bigger than a grizzly."

 _Holy shit._

That doesn't sound like a bear that I know of. I think Sailor Night needs to investigate this. It'll more than likely help with my short temper.

* * *

After getting back from Jacob's place, I immediately transform into Sailor Night. Angela's story sounds really strange but, again, she's not the type of girl who would make such a thing up. Forks is a supernatural hot spot so I won't be surprised if she saw something that would land under that category. There had also been reports of seeing a very large animal in the woods so Angela is not alone in that regard.

"Alright. Let's get going."

I hop about from the tree tops, looking down at the ground to see if I can see anything walking. It's not very long until I'm rewarded with not one but two figures on the ground. I get lower into the trees for a better look. From my perspective, they look like ordinary wolves but it's far from being the case. Their auras are pretty strange and...oddly familiar. I don't know where I've come across those auras, though. I feel like I should know but I can't seem to put my finger on it.

Down below on the forest ground, there's a black wolf and a gray wolf. Now I know why one of them is familiar to me. I've met the black wolf before during my run in with James and he is huge! Holy shit. The over sized wolves are what people have been seeing around, Angela included. They are not bears at all. Now the question remains: what are they doing around areas filled with people?

I let my body fade into shadows and blend in with the night. I'm glad that I did because the two wolves transformed back into humans and one of them was Sam Uley. The other one I recognize as one of Sam's pack mates but I don't know his name. I have seen this character that first day at La Push. His aura is much like Mars and Uranus's combined...quick and volatile. This one has a temper.

 _Shape shifters._

The legends immediately come to mind. They must have been chasing something out here and people saw them as a result. What could have they been chasing? The answer: a vampire...the wolves sole enemy.

"Damn it, the vampire got away."

"For now. However, there's something else in the forest that's here watching us." Sam says.

"Yeah, I sense it, too. It's not a vampire, though."

I better get out of here.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm cleaning up my apartment as I'm waiting for Jacob. Last night's investigation has revealed a lot of interesting information. Sam Uley and his companion are shape shifters and they had been chasing a vampire that had been near the area. At least they're not rogue wolves; otherwise, Forks would be in trouble and I would definitely have to use some extra fire power (and quite literally, if I may say so). If that group of boys down at La Push are wolves...well, I just found the entire pack by accident.

 _Their senses are very sharp. They are predators._

Indeed, they are. They picked up on my presence so I had to bail out last night. I'm glad that they didn't take me for a vampire at least. That would have been a nasty confrontation if that had been the case. I sigh. Well, even if they did confront me, it would have ended badly and probably for me. Two huge wolves versus a single female...the odds would definitely be against me, even with the Sailor Crystals. I sigh. Thinking about it doesn't do me any good now. At least I have the means to escape.

"Sakura!"

"Come on in, Jake!"

I'm putting my vacuum away when I see that familiar face grinning at me. He tells me that the bikes are done and are ready for test drives. Now, this is what I have been looking forward to. Edward wouldn't want me to get involved but who cares what he thinks? He's not here anymore to tell me what to do. Just thinking about him makes my heart ache a little but not enough to incapacitate me. I bow down to no man!

"You ready to ride?"

"Just let me change into something more suitable."

* * *

We're on our way to an area in the woods where the terrain allows for us to ride our sweet bikes. The air has a bit of a chill to it but the weather, overall, is rather nice. Jacob and I are talking when I notice something falling down a cliff. I bring my truck to a halt and realize that it's a guy! Jacob explains to me that they're cliff-diving. It's recreational sport for the lot of them since, as he puts it, there isn't a mall where they can just hang out.

"That's awfully high from where they're jumping." I comment.

"They are rather insane," Jacob agrees. "They're showing off how tough they are."

The water has to be freezing, he says, but he enjoys it himself. It's a scary kind of rush but he and the guys have fun. I smile. Anything that involves the scary kind of rush is my kind of thing so I tell him that he should take me diving one of these days. He almost looks horrified but then he relents, just under the condition of the weather being warmer. I agree before starting my truck back up.

"So who were those guys?"

"The La Push Gang."

"Are they an actual gang?"

"No."

Jacob explains that instead of starting fights, they are peacekeepers and there had been an incident where someone had been selling drugs to kids. So Sam Uley and his followers chased him off the land. Funny how Sam's name keeps coming up in odd situations. He's apparently the leader of the gang. His gang, I figure, must actually be his _pack._ Of course, I don't say this out loud to Jake. Everything that I have been learning is starting to make complete sense now. I don't say anything further but my companion shows his disdain for Sam by saying:

"The Tribe Council gave my sister crap for not accepting a college scholarship. She got married instead." Jake says. "Sam doesn't go to college but he gets off scot-free. He can do no wrong."

We arrive at our destination and Jake is the first to get out. Something is bothering him and I really need to know. Well, I don't really _need_ to considering the way he spoke about Sam and his gang but I just hate seeing my companion not smiling. It's very uncharacteristic for him, actually. As he unloads the bikes from my truck, I ask him if there's anything bothering him. Right away, his face grimaces and I know something is on his mind. He looks at the bike in front of him before saying:

"I've never been treated special, you know?" He says. "I'm like everyone else but, now, Sam is treating me special...like something is going to happen."

God damn it. I know what it is, too! Even worse, I can't really tell Jake, either. I suppose that I can but he'll dismiss it like any teenage boy would. The legends are just legends to him. Plus, I can't really prove it, either. Sam's waiting for Jake to become a wolf. It's upsetting to see the boy not smile his brilliant smile. Of course, there's something else...there's always something else and to confirm it, Jake tells me that Embry is starting to hang out with Sam.

"Embry?"

"He's been avoiding me lately. We don't talk the way we used to."

It hurts me to see Jacob so heartbroken. He tells me that Embry had missed a week of school before he started to hang out with Sam. Also, his gang had been bugging the shy boy before this whole thing went down. Quil and Jacob had tried getting him to talk but he wouldn't. It was the same thing with other boys. They weren't friends with Sam at all before, all of the sudden, they started to hang out with him.

"What did Billy have to say about it?"

"Heh. Nothing really helpful. Something about a coming-of-age thing."

 _Evasion._

I give Jacob a big ol' hug before offering him a place to stay at my apartment. Pretty soon, he's back to being the happy, teenage boy that he always is. He jokes about seeing about the over sized bear in the woods. I chuckle. We get on our bikes and ride away, forgetting the upsetting things we heard today.

 _Be wary, pet._ Circe whispers to me. _The winds of change are starting to blow._

Her words pierce my thoughts and send shivers down my spine.


	7. Chapter 7

I can't believe that this is happening! Not too long ago, I was supposed to go out on a planned trip with some friends but it wound up being Mike Newton, Jacob and myself. Mike, of course, wasn't too happy with having another guy around but I did. We went to one of those thriller movies and during the course of the movie, Mike ended up getting sick and spending time in the bathroom with his face in the toilet. It turns out he had been feeling sick before he came on the trip but had been hoping that it would pass.

 _Poor Mike._

Jacob started to feel a little unwell himself but, little did I know, it wasn't what I thought it would be. He went home after dropping me off at my apartment. Well, I just called him again and he sounded horrible on the phone. I'm thankful that I didn't catch what he and Mike had, but I still feel horrible that the other two got sick.

"I don't think I have what Mike has." Jacob says hoarsely.

"You don't?"

His words had reminded me of recent events. Embry has joined Sam's pack. I don't know the symptoms of one becoming a werewolf but what if Jacob was starting that kind of change?

"I feel achy everywhere."

"Is there anything that I can bring you?"

"No. Stay where you are." He says abruptly. "I'll call you when I can."

"Call me when you're better." I urged him.

"Right." He says, with a hint of bitterness.

That conversation was yesterday. I have not heard from him since. I call Billy to see if there's any news and he says that Jacob is still in bed. I ask him if he's been to the doctor and the answer is yes. My instincts say otherwise, but I don't say anything to the old man. I'm worried about Jacob but I'm also worried that his father had just lied to me. Why would he be lying? Is there something that he doesn't want me to know? Damn it! It's driving me nuts! Jacob has become an important part of my life since Edward departed.

 _Please be alright, Jacob._

Billy later tells me that his son has mono but I'm suspicious right off the bat. I know the symptoms of mono because I actually had it when I was still in Japan (not from Takuya, though, I'm sorry to say). Again, I don't say anything to tip the old man off. I'm just going to have to suffer without his company for awhile.

* * *

"Why am I here?"

I had felt the urge to seek out the meadow Edward took me to and here I am, now. Of course, given the cool weather, everything is dead at the moment. I sigh. Even though Jacob is the brightest moment in my life, the golden boy of my past insists on haunting me in other ways, such as this meadow here. I'm not sure why I have come here to begin with. Maybe I need closure and to try to push him out of my thoughts for good. It's certainly not good for me to hang on to someone who will never come back. I'll never forget him, though, just like I'll never forget Takuya. It's not really easy...

 _Huh?_

My power stick is pulsing dangerously. I check my surroundings but I don't see anything right off the bat. I close my eyes and try to feel out the unseen danger. I can feel it walking towards the area that I am in. I open my eyes and Laurent is yards away, scrutinizing me carefully with his red eyes. He doesn't recognize me, of course, because I'm not Sailor Night. He starts to come closer before he vanishes in a flash. Thank the gods that I'm fast and flexible because Laurent reappears just before he tries to strike me. I will also give credit to Circe for this one, too.

"You're fast for a human." He notes.

"Hmph."

He comes right at me again and, this time, I'm ready. I'm down on the ground and take his feet out with a low, roundhouse kick. I immediately grab him by the leg and sling him across the meadow with ease. I can feel his surprise and it makes me smirk. I'm not the average human. Hell, I'm not human at all. I haven't been one for the last nine centuries. With Circe's strength, I could have just ripped him apart with my bare hands but I feel like messing with him.

 _Night Star Power!_

"Recognize me, Laurent?"

His red eyes widen. I summon my scythe to my hands and he's very scared now. He's begging for forgiveness and that he had no idea that I'd be in the area, which is true. I ask him to state his reasons for being here. I give him a glare that tells him that I will not accept any of his bullshit and he seems to understand. He knows that it's not in his best interest to lie. I executed Victoria easily and he knows that I am capable of executing him just as easily.

"I thought you had gone to Alaska."

"I had." He agrees. "I thought I would visit the Cullens but it seems they have moved on."

"Indeed."

It should have struck me immediately. The Denali clan is the other vegetarian group of vampires (screw the Cullens). They have golden eyes but Laurent...his eyes are red. I don't think he lied about going to Alaska but his curiosity about the Cullen lifestyle must have not caught on with him, which I suspect is the case. He never tried out that kind of diet. Time to call him out on his mistake.

"Did you bother to try the Cullen lifestyle? As I recall, you were curious about their way of life."

He freezes before he nods. He had been hoping that I wouldn't catch him on that but it's my job to see through bullshit. He has tried it, he says, but confesses to cheating on his new diet. He's been feeding on humans for so long that the temptation to cheat is great. Doesn't mean I'm going to forgive his attempted assault on me. I slam my scythe down onto the ground, creating a crater, and this makes him take several steps backwards in fear. I tap into Circe's power, which she gleefully lends me.

 _Yes, pet. Show this pathetic creature what you're made of._

"Make any new friends up there?"

"I've met the vegetarians up there." He says carefully. "I like Tanya but I like her sister, Irina, even more."

"That's nice. Have you fed lately?"

He swallows hard and I know he hasn't. I tell him that there's no need to lie about it. It takes him a couple of minutes to nod. I teleport myself behind him and take him by surprise by ripping his arm off with my scythe. I tell him about my run-in with James and how close he had come to defeating me. I admit to the fact that I had a weak moment that had allowed him to take me by surprised, just like Laurent just had allowed me to surprise him.

"I won't make such a mistake again." I promise him. "Just like you won't either."

I'm about to rip off his other arm when I feel multiple auras in the area, a few of them rather familiar. I stare Laurent down but his attention is focused behind me. I smirk as I pull my scythe away from him.

"Enjoy your stay in hell, Laurent."

"I don't believe it."

He _runs._ Big mistake. I turn around and I see the same black wolf (now identified as Sam Uley) making his appearance...along with the rest of his pack. I recognize the gray one from the other night as they rush by me. However, the other one is not familiar. It's a russet-colored wolf. It walks up to me with an unusual intelligence in its black eyes, gazing at me carefully before rushing off to finish off Laurent. Two more wolves run after the russet one.

 _Those eyes..._

They remind me of Jacob.

"No..."


	8. Chapter 8

"Damn it! I have had enough of this!"

After talking to Quil, I now know that Jacob is avoiding me because of one Sam Uley. I immediately head over to the Blacks, running all fifteen miles there, and bang on the door. Lo and behold, the one person that I really want to see actually answers the door. He has changed a lot. He's no longer the boy that I spent time with His hair is cropped really short and there is a very hard look in his face. His eyes are angry and he's fucking huge like the rest of them!

"What are you doing here, Sakura?"

"Don't you dare take that fucking tone with me, Black!" I growl.

He's temporarily startled. I have never taken that tone of voice with him until now. Sensing others in the area, I look behind me and there are four other boys that share the same characteristics as Jacob: russet skin, cropped hair and hostile looks. The only one out of the bunch who doesn't share that hostility is Sam. His face is sure and calm, like he had expected this. I sigh.

"What do you want?" Jacob asks carefully.

"I just wanted to talk. Alone."

Jacob looks at Sam, who gives him a nod. He makes a comment in what I assume is Quileute and the others follow him inside the house. My companion's face becomes calmer but hopeless. His smile is non-existent and it hurts. It seems like everyone is leaving me. I suppose that this may be my last conversation with him for awhile. We walk toward the trees to the north of his house and we don't say anything. I know Sam couldn't be watching but I prefer to have my privacy secured.

"So what's going on Jake?"

"It's not what you think." He says quickly. "Sam isn't who I made him out to be."

"Clarification, please?"

"I can't tell you."

That figures. Everything has to be one big secret. It's fine with me, though. I already know the big secret. I just want to hear it from his lips.

"I thought we were friends." I say flatly.

"Were."

I try to reach out to him but he backs away. Well, that settles it then. Before I head back out to his house, I ask Jacob if there's someone I could place the blame. He shakes his head, saying that I don't want to know. I say otherwise. I'm trying to keep my anger in check. I'm angry because I'm about to lose someone I thought to be a friend.

"Blame the filthy leeches you love." He growls.

"Hn."

"That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

"What else is there to say?" I ask. "I've lost someone who I thought to be a friend."

I refuse to give away that I already know of his secret. It hurts that he doesn't trust me but it is what it is. Even after centuries, I'm still being punished for my role as Beryl's elite soldier. I can feel Jake's sadness but I don't give him the time of day. He no longer deserves my attention...nor my tears. My tears are for no one but myself.

* * *

I'm halfway through my walk back to forks when I look around the edges of the dark woods. I can feel the presence of several wolves in the dark. I know I'm taking a risk by walking out in the open but, frankly, I just don't give a damn. If I have to fight, then I'm ready. I sigh before I start jogging along the road. I always run when I'm angry. It's a good way to burn off stress.

 _Guess I'm on my own again._

I'm not even five minutes into my run when I stop dead into my tracks. There's no fucking way! I know Sailor Moon had destroyed him. I saw him die! I look up into the sky and the man that called himself my creator floated there, looking back down at me. His white hair shone silver underneath the rising moon. His eyes are like ice but there's a sarcastic smirk on his face. James had been telling the truth...the god awful truth.

"Kunzite."

"Well isn't this a surprise?" Kunzite says in a mockingly pleasant tone. "It's been centuries since we last saw each other.

 _Centuries isn't long enough._ Circe says to me.

"Was being dead too boring for you? Is that why you came back?" I ask sarcastically.

"Sailor Moon didn't destroy me." He says. "She came close but I survived her attack."

 _Sneaky bastard. I should have known._

Kunzite stops right in front of me, causing me to go rigid, and gives me a look over. The last time he gave me such a look was the first time I woke up. I might have been under the influence of the Negaverse but I've never forgotten that look. I do remember that there had been other creations before me but I was his first success. I give him the coldest look that I can muster. I will not allow this bastard to intimidate me.

"My word, Sakura, you look rather well."

"What brings you here?"

"I've come to retrieve you and take you back home."

"My home is here."

"Really? It doesn't seem that way."

Kunzite starts to circle me, like a wolf stalking their prey, telling me he's been watching me for quite sometime. He says that he watched Edward leave and Jacob leave. I can just kick myself for not picking up on Kunzite's presence. Of course, back in the Negaverse, he was the top general and a master of hiding his presence well. Sadly enough, that's where I picked up my skills of being able to evade enemies. It also sickens me that he seems to know that I'm in possession of the one thing he's coveted for so long. Of course, I'm the only surviving Sailor Scout so it wouldn't be too hard to figure out who had the damn thing.

"I want to see how well you fight, Sakura." He says. "I want to know how powerful my creation has gotten...without the use of the crystal."

"I am not yours to control any longer, Kunzite."

 _Night Star Power!_

I'm at full strength. I need to keep focus and allow thoughts of Jacob to distract me. The weight of my scythe is very comforting to me. I grin fiercely. It's been quite a while since I've had a major fight. My brief battle with Laurent had been just a warm up so this fight is going to be good.

* * *

 _Jacob's POV_

It can't be! Her kind is supposed to be a myth! The Sailor Scouts had been legendary warriors of their time. Harry Clearwater has spoken of them from time to time but they had disappeared into the sands of time...until now that is. Even better...

 _Sakura's a Sailor Scout!_

I've left things a mess today. I figured on breaking away from the pack and going to her apartment to apologize. I really don't want to leave things standing the way they are with her hating me.

 _Dude! She's a Sailor Scout?_ _That's hot!_ Paul says.

 _Now's not the time for jokes._ Sam responds authoritively. _She might need our help._

He's right. For now, we hide in the shadows.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ah, so you've been converted into a Sailor Scout." Kunzite says. "Well, this makes things very interesting."

Per my usual habit, I slam my scythe into the ground as a show of my strength, which seems to please him. I'm not here to please anyone. I am here to fight...so I charge him at full speed with my weapon flying behind me. I leap into the air and sling it straight at him, hitting the road instead. I'm not too surprised that he dodges it. He's a fast one, alright. He's also the type to keep his cool in battle. It takes a lot to ruffle his feathers so irritating him is going to be a bit of a problem.

Yanking the chain attached to my scythe, I pull it back towards me in preparation for another attack. Kunzite lands in front of me, cool and collected as always, and smirks at me. I just keep my face blank, which makes his smirk widen. He did teach me about emotions being useless in the field of battle. I guess it's sort of a compliment to him. However, I do remember that he can be rather arrogant and cocky. Maybe I can use that to my advantage...

"Come, now," Kunzite says. "Is that all you got? I'm disappointed."

I teleport myself behind him and punch him on the back of his head, sending him flying. I teleport again and use the blunt end of my scythe as a baseball bat. I never felt so satisfied making a man eat asphalt before. Maybe I should do that more often. Teleporting myself again to where he's lying, I stomp down on him hard and put my scythe under his neck, prepared to decapitate him. I really don't care if he's flesh and blood. He's still an enemy...and one that I need to destroy.

"I've taught you well. You are unlike the rest of your comrades, who are forgiving. You are the opposite, fierce and brutal."

"I've learned early in life that being forgiving gets me into trouble." I reply coldly.

Something in the forest whines and that takes me off guard, allowing Kunzite to trip me up and send me flying across the road, making me, in turn, eat asphalt. As I try to stop myself from going any further, my former master teleports in front of me and punches me in the gut before slapping me across the face. Asphalt does NOT feel good...especially if you're being thrown and dragged across it. Bouncing back onto my feet, I form a dark energy ball and throw it at my opponent. In true Kunzite style, he absorbs the attack and sends it right back to me. It just barely misses me.

 _Damn._

"I'm truly disappointed." He mocks me. "Of course, becoming a Sailor Scout might have weakened you."

"My being a Sailor Scout has nothing to do with it." I growl.

"You seem to forget that you were originally created to destroy them."

"No, I haven't forgotten that."

Legends call me 'The Child of Fate.' It had been fate to lead me to become to intercept the Silver Crystal. It had been fate to lead me to become a Sailor Scout. It had been fate to allow me to destroy the evil that had once consumed the entire planet. I defied my creators and I defied destiny. I will not allow anyone to tell me what to do anymore. Fuck this shit. I have had enough of being walked on and undermined. My rage boiled over and exploded.

"YOU WILL NOT CONTROL ME!" I scream. "AHHH!"

I land some very hard hits on Kunzite, allowing my anger to temporarily consume me and cause some extreme damage to Kunzite. Anger can be a very powerful weapon but it all depends on the user and the intentions of the user. Right now, I really want to send him straight into the depths of hell, where he belongs, and let him suffer for all the things that he had done. He has to atone for them...just as I have atoned for my wrongs against the world.

 _And so he shall, pet._

The seal on my back breaks completely, taking me by surprise, and Circe takes complete control of me. The world goes red and blood lust consumes me.

* * *

Jacob's POV

 _So it seems that they still exist._ Sam says. _And that Jacob's friend is the Child of Fate._

There's a legend among us about the Child of Fate. A female child born of darkness shall rise against her creators and defy her dark destiny. She shall become a guardian of the night and repent for her sins against humanity. Sakura is that child. I can't believe it!

 _I think we should worry about the fact that she knows about us._ Paul responds.

He gives me this knowing look. Yeah, I did spell it out for her before I realized that the legends were actually true. Now that I know about how true they are, I'm tightly bound to secrecy...though that is a moot point now. To be fair, Sakura had a dark secret of her own as well and one I doubt that she planned on telling. I guess we're even, now.

 _Let's take this up with the council._ Embry suggests.

Sam nods before we all see Sailor Night fall to the ground, with the silver-haired guy nowhere to be seen. She had fought with frightening speed, precision and brutality. Hell, she fought like a freaking demon! She completely trashed that asshole! No mercy whatsoever. For a moment, it was like she wasn't even human. Damn. In the time I have come to know her, she didn't display such anger...not even when she wiped the floor with that bloodsucker back in the meadow. Whatever that guy did to her, he got punished really good. I won't be surprised if she actually killed him because of that.

"Jacob, wait!"

Screw it. I don't care if I'm putting myself in harm's way. I'm not going to let Sakura die with a broken heart.


	10. Chapter 10

_Jacob..._

I sigh. I remember him running towards me I'm all bandaged up but most of my severe wounds have already healed. The pain is nothing compared to the double heartbreak I have suffered. I refuse to cry, though. I don't think I have any tears left to cry. I'm quite surprised that my heart still beats, let alone work properly. With all of the emotional damage (and possibly physical damage) done to it, I shouldn't still be able to feel. Look what I had done to Kunzite. I completely beat the shit out of him before murdering him in cold blood...not that I regret it, mind you. I'm just surprised that Circe even allowed me to see everything. Normally when she takes over, I'm usually shut away in some dark corner of my consciousness and I don't know what happens afterward. Speaking of Circe...

"Oh, you're awake!" A pleasant voice says.

I look to my right and see a woman with scars running down her face. She has a pleasant demeanor about her. I quickly check my surroundings and assume that this was her house. Jacob must have brought me here. I slowly pull myself upright in a sitting position and check the damage. A lot of scratches and bruises here and there from eating asphalt and a couple of broken ribs from being punched but, overall, I'm not in bad shape. Of course, I probably had more damage before my advanced healing kicked in.

"Huh?"

"You took quite a beating." She said. "You had some broken bones...which seem to have healed on their own."

She says this in a slow, surprised tone. My bones do heal up pretty fast and will reset themselves without the aide of Circe or the silver crystal. Quietly, I try to feel for the crystals and, fortunately, I feel their presence. I haven't lost them, thank the gods. I don't know what I would do if I had lost them. I sigh and tell my apparent nurse that I'm a fast healer. She gives me this look that indicates she doesn't believe me. I don't blame her but what am I supposed to say?

"Did Jacob bring me here?"

"Yes. He was quite worried about you."

"Worried, huh?" I snort.

The woman tilts her head to the side, raising an eyebrow at my skepticism before realizing something. Her expression softens and gives me a sympathetic smile. I don't understand this until I realize that she may have seen my prior exchange with Jacob earlier that day. Sheesh.

"He's...going through a stage, right now." She says. "Give him time."

"Time? I'll give him time." I growl. "He was the only friend I had left and look what happened."

I lie back down and sink into the pillows. I really don't want to talk about how everyone just left me. I pull the blanket over my face and blot out the world.

"Sakura?" Jacob calls.

"What do you want?"

He pulls the blanket off of my face, giving me a good look at him and ,god, I swear that kid keeps getting bigger by the minute! In this case, he's a little bit more muscular than he used to be. His growth spurt seems to have stopped at the moment but holy shit! I think it goes without saying that I'll never get over it. He sits down on the edge of my bed, quietly inspecting my visible wounds, before asking me if I was alright. I look to see if that woman is around. She is not. Must have left the room to let Jacob and I talk.

"Never better." I say dully. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to apologize. I've left things a mess."

"That you did."

"I want to explain but I can't at the same time." Jacob says.

Neither one of us say a word for a couple of minutes. I get up from bed to stretch my legs and reveal all of my bandages. He gasps. I've taken some hard hits from Kunzite and being dragged across asphalt isn't exactly pleasant. The bandages cover the length of my entire body. Thank goodness I have some advanced healing techniques in my arsenal. Jacob tells me to lie down and I'm about to protest when I realize that I'm simply wearing bandages and shorts. Fortunately, my chest is covered as well. Sheesh. That explains why Jacob is blushing.

"Were you ever going to tell me you were Sailor Night?"

Damn. I didn't expect him to call me out on that of all things. I was kind of hoping that he would call me on other stuff but not on my alias. I take a deep breath and count to ten before answering him.

"Only in return that you tell me yours." I reply evenly. "Truth be told, Jacob, I already know about it. I just wanted to hear you say it."

"Did you figure it out from the legends?"

"That, and I caught Sam and another guy turn back into humans."

Jacob shuts up. I tell him that Angela had seen large creatures out in the woods at school and I figured that I would investigate her claims. I also tell him that I hadn't been expecting to find over sized wolves, two of whom I had run into during that investigation. I describe the other wolf as being gray in color and has a volatile energy about him.

"Must've been Paul." Jacob replies. "He's a hothead."

I then describe my encounter with Laurent in the meadow and how I had been ready to finish him off when the pack turned up at that time. I stare straight into Jacob's eyes and call him out on his alias.

"You're that russet-colored wolf, aren't you?"

He simply nods.

"Come to La Push tomorrow. Everything will be explained."

"Alright."

* * *

The next day, I drive down to La Push with Jacob, with the majority of my injuries healed. We head out to the forest and we're greeted by four large figures striding out of the trees. Just like my companion, they are large and muscular with other similar features. They walk in complete synchronization, which is very indicative of a pack, before meeting up with Jake and myself. I'm counting on their anger but, right now, they are merely cautious and curious. There's no anger to be seen.

"So you're the Child of Fate." Sam says without introduction.

"That's right. How'd you know about that?"

"It goes back to the time of Jacob's great-grandfather."

"He was there when you came to be." Jake elaborates. "He also saw you defy your dark path."

"I see."

I don't ever recall seeing another being out there on the battlefield but I do remember seeing a lone, white wolf there. It sat there along the outer edges of the field, as if it was observing the fight as a spectator would. I don't remember anything else but my mind had been occupied with the fight rather than a creature that somehow survived the poisonous atmosphere that was Metalia.

"I remember now. There was a white wolf there."

"That's him."

All six of us start walking towards a house in the woods. Another boy joins us and it's Embry, though I hardly recognize him due to the changes he's undergone. He asks how Jake got around an injunction that had been placed and I tell him that I guessed the first time around and that I saw Sam and Paul (the gray wolf) shift back into humans one night.

"I thought I sensed your presence."

"I can turn into a shadow when I'm a Sailor Scout." I explain. "That's why you didn't see me."

The house we come to belongs to Sam's fiancee, Emily. That must have been the woman who had bandaged my wounds. Sam goes on in along with the rest of the boys, but Embry stays behind to warn me to not stare at her. I don't bother to ask, much to his relief. He doesn't realize that I had met her the day prior and already seen her scars. It's clear to me that some animal must have gotten her in the face.

* * *

"About that blood-sucker in the field." Embry starts. "The one you started to rip apart...are you okay with the result?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"We have a treaty with the Cullens..."

"Say no more. My sources explained it to me." I say with a smile. "Glad you showed up when you did."

"Our pleasure."

"Why do I get the feeling you mean that literally?"

* * *

The front room is very spacious and airy. I guess it's more of a kitchen since there's a table and a stove in there. The woman from yesterday is standing nearby with muffins at a nearby counter. Now that I'm up and about and less stressed, I take note of her. She has beautiful dark hair and copper skin. She turns around and asks us if we're hungry before greeting me.

"You really are a fast healer." She says with a smile.

"Um...yeah." I grin sheepishly.

"This is Sakura Adachi, the Japanese girl." A boy named Jared says. "Who else?"

"A topic of interest, apparently." I reply with a smirk. "Pleased to meet you, uh...?"

"I'm sorry. I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you."

She offers me a muffin and I take one, while Embry takes his third and shoves it into his mouth. Heh. He reminds me of Usagi when she had been a teenager. I grin. Good times.


	11. Chapter 11

"Are you dating Jacob?" Paul asks me curiously. "If you are, then you're robbing the cradle."

"Eat your damn hot dog, Paul."

We all laugh. It has been a long time that I've felt so much at ease. I suppose if the girls weren't dead, we'd be hanging out just like this. We'd be having a bonfire, like now, and having hot dogs or something of the sort. I shake my head and dismiss my depressing thoughts. I had been invited to stay and hang out, which was nice of them to ask me. I intend to have some fun and not bring the vibe down.

According to Jacob, Quil finally turned into a werewolf. A stray vampire had been running around in the area and that set him off. So really, he says, this meeting is technically a tribal council. This is Quil's first time to learn that the stories are true. Also, since I'm the Child of Fate, I'm allowed to sit in on this thing as well (there's no mention on the fact that I had figured it out. Sheesh. I'm privileged). The Clearwater kids are first-timers as well, along with this girl, named Kim. Kim is Jared's imprint. Jacob promised to explain the imprint to me later, although I have a bit of an idea of what it might entail. I'm not the type to steal one's thunder. I only do that when an enemy is about to brag about something.

* * *

The entire pack is here. Sam and Emily, Paul, Embry, Quil, Jared and his imprint are all here. Kim seems to be a bit shy but she seems to be a nice girl. When I look at Jared look at her, my instincts tell me that this is what imprinting is. The total adoration he holds in his eyes for her is amazing. To the ordinary person, they wouldn't see anything special about Kim but to Jared, she's the world. I sigh before I look at the older members of the council. Quil's grandfather, Harry Clearwater and Billy are also here. As if he sensed my thoughts, Jacob says:

"You're going to hear the first story of the spirit warriors."

The atmosphere suddenly changes and everyone is sitting up straighter. Billy launches into the story of how they came to be, beginning with Kaheleha, the first great Spirit Chief in Quileute history. He wasn't the first spirit warrior, though, but no one remembered who discovered the magic in their had lead a spirit army against a large tribe, who had stolen the Quileute's land, and chased them off in a myriad of ways.

Then came the story of Taha Aki, the last spirit chief. He was renowned for his wisdom and for being one who preferred peace. Of course, there's always one in the group that's discontented (isn't that always the case?). Utlapa had been one of Taha Aki's strongest warriors but always one who wanted more. He wanted to use the magic to gain more land and enslave other people. According to Billy, when the warriors became their spirit selves, they knew each others thoughts and that's how Taha Aki discovered his warrior's treachery. Utlapa became an outcast.

 _This story sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it, pet?_

The story reminds me of the Black Moon clan. They were a group of rebels convinced by a demon, called Wiseman, that Crystal Tokyo was an abomination. The citizens of Crystal Tokyo had been given immortality through the power of the Silver Crystal, thus creating the Black Moon Clan. Wiseman led them to attack the future Crystal Tokyo before going into the 20th century. Small Lady had gone to the 20th century in search for the Silver Crystal to help her mother, the now current Neo-Queen Serenity, and so did Wiseman. He went to the past to obtain the Silver Crystal and to kill Small Lady. Revenge was the motive.

 _Small Lady..._

"Taha Aki called upon the wolf to destroy Utlapa but killed a young man protecting the false chief..." Billy continued.

 _So that's where the wolf came from._

Taha Aki wanted a body after wandering the world without his own body for so long. The wolf accepted his spirit and the two became one. As a wolf, he returned to his village and warriors were called upon to chase him away. However, he didn't attack them and retreated slowly, trying to communicate with them with his eyes...just like Jacob had tried to that day in the meadow. Thankfully, the warriors seemed to have realized this. One decided to defy the false chief and tried to communicate with the wolf by leaving his body. He discovered his true chief and welcomed him home.

"Utlapa killed the warrior for disobeying him."

Taha Aki was enraged. He became one with the wolf again and that was when he became a man again. Warriors of the tribe recognized him. Utlapa tried to run but Taha Aki set things right by crushing the thief and working with his people once again.

* * *

"Holy crow." I say.

"Yeah." Jake says. "Entrenched in history, that's for sure."

"Thanks for inviting me tonight. I think I understand things more, now."

"And thank you for being here for me."

I give my friend a big hug before I head home.

* * *

"Cliff diving, alright!" I exclaim.

I have my familiar two-piece, lavender bathing suit on beneath a pair of shorts. Jake liked it before so I know he'll appreciate it now. I have my power stick, as usual, along with a change of clothes on me. Today should be a pretty fun day! I get into my truck and head off for First Beach in La Push. The weather is pretty mild today so I put my window down and let the wind flow inside the cab.

 _Ah..._

It had been stormy earlier today, but it seemed to have cleared up. However, despite how soft the air feels, there's an undercurrent of foreboding. Something major is going to happen. Even Circe senses it. She's getting kind of restless and wants to get out of her cage.

 _I don't like this at all._

I make it to the cliffs in one piece but the boys haven't arrived yet. We plan on jumping from the top. So while I'm waiting, I decide to practice some martial arts. I take a few minutes to warm up and stretch my legs before I take position. I start out with a few basic punches and kicks before I mix things up. I don't pick up on the stray youma that suddenly runs by me...

"Sakura!"

 _Damn. It sliced me._

I cough up blood before I fall over the cliff.


	12. Chapter 12

I'm falling through space. It feels like it's taking forever to hit the water below me but when I do, it feels like a thousand knives have pierced me. I can't move. The water is slapping me around before I can finally move. I'm not sure what hurts more: the gash to my mid-section or the icy water. It's rather cold for such a mild day but I don't give a fuck about that right now. I need to get back to shore.

 _Help me out here, Circe._

No fucking response. That's a change and a really concerning one.

"Hang on, Sakura!"

Soon enough, Jacob's warm arm wraps around me and he starts to tow me back to shore. I feel limp and weak from the sudden attack but I still have energy enough to start healing that gash. My companion is trying to encourage me to hang on and that we're almost to the shore. I'm glad. Even though I'm losing a bit of blood, my built-in healing abilities are starting to kick in as well. Without Circe's help, though, the process isn't as fast. I cough and blood splatters on Jake's chest.

"Made it." He mutters to himself. "She coughing up blood!"

"Get her to the hospital." Sam's voice orders.

"Don't...bother." I gasp out. "Healing abilities are...working."

True to form, the gash on my stomach is starting to disappear. My strength is a little slow to return but it's nothing that I can't handle. I sit up slowly and lean against Jacob's warm body. I explain that a youma had attacked me at the top of the cliff and that I had failed on picking up on it. Jake looks at Sam and tells him to go back to the hospital. Why him? I'm about to ask about it but:

"Is that the monster we tore up?"

"Yeah."

We sit on the shoreline for a little while before Jake picks me up and lugs me back to his house. I ask about the hospital thing and he tells me that Harry Clearwater had a heart attack earlier this morning. From the way he sounds, it's clear that Harry isn't going to survive. I whisper a silent prayer to help him pass on in peace and without pain. I know it's going to be hard on his wife and two kids and for everyone that knows him. I sigh. Death sucks.

"This heat..." I comment.

"It's a wolf thing." Jake says. "It would kill an ordinary human but I'm not ordinary."

"Neither am I."

When we enter his house, Jacob tosses me a gray shirt and pair of gray sweatpants to change into. He blushes before he steps out of the room. I smile. He cares enough to give me something to change into. I call out to him and ask him about my bag that I had left at the top of the cliff. He says that one of the guys have it and that they'll come to return it. Good because it has my power stick in it. I'll be screwed if I don't have it.

"You can come back in, now."

Jacob obediently steps back into the room. He tells me that Quil has it and that he'll bring it over pretty quick. Just as soon my companion finishes his sentence, Quil comes in with my bag in tow. His face is solemn but flashes me a quick, flirty smile before he heads back out. I can feel his worry and despair about Harry. I sigh as I lie down on the couch. I instinctively know that I'm going to be needed. Maybe not here, but I know someone will need me. I sigh as Jake brings me some heavy blankets.

"You're exhausted, Jacob." I comment.

"Yeah. I think I'll take a nap as well."

He sits down on the side of the couch and, soon, I can hear him snore. Before long, I'm out like a light.

* * *

"I'm so sorry."

"It's going to be hard around here." Billy replies.

It's confirmed. Harry Clearwater passed away during the night. Jake is sitting next to me with his face in his hands. I rub his shoulders, not saying anything. Sometimes silence can be a healing tool. It allows for time of reflection and meditation and that is what he needs. Suddenly, he catches my hand into his and looks at me. His face has a tired and haunted look to it and I can hardly blame him for it.

"Are you alright?" He asks tiredly. "I should have taken you to the hospital."

"I'm fine. Look."

I lift up the large shirt he loaned me and there's no sign of the gash that I sustained from the youma. He sighs in relief and then he smiles, commenting that my healing abilities are just as fast as his. I stare at him. He got hurt? He says that it's nothing and, just like me, he heals very fast. Like hell it's nothing but I don't say a word. The youma has been handled and I'm not going to think about it anymore. Jake needs time to grieve. I slip into his bathroom to change into my clothes.

"I'm going to go." I say after changing.

"Let me take you."

I give Jake the keys to my truck and we're well on our way back to Forks.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Jake."

"Anytime."

He gets out of the truck and turns to head home before he stops dead in his track. It takes me a couple of seconds to figure out why. I check my surroundings and I see a car that looks like it belongs to a Cullen. What the fuck? I tell Jacob to get out of here and phase if he needs to. He dashes off back to La Push. He can't be on Cullen territory if they are truly back in town. I transform into Sailor Night and wield my scythe.

 _It would seem that someone from your past is back._

 _I'd ask where the fuck you'd been but now's not the time._

I can't believe that I have to sneak around in my own apartment. If there's someone dangerous inside, I can't be too careful. I have to be extremely careful. If I get careless, then it can be the end of me...not that I'm worried. Circe finally showed back up so why should I worry about dying right now? I go for the nearest switch and the light reveals one Alice Cullen. Her eyes are black, indicating that she hasn't fed.

"So, Alice," I say coldly. "You're back. Care to explain why you're sneaking around?"

"Care to explain why you're alive?"

 _Shit._

She must have seen me fall off the cliff and into the water. No wonder she's in my apartment. She thought that I died from the fall, if not from my gash. I sigh. I don't really want to explain it to her since I don't owe any of her family an explanation. Just the same, though, I tell her that I had been practicing my martial arts when a youma had attacked me from out of nowhere. It slashed me in my mid-section, I explain, and I fell over the cliff.

"I saw you fall into the water but I didn't see you come up."

"Jacob pulled me out."

"Odd. I didn't see him."

She leans over and sniffs me. Her lovely face contorts into a face of disgust. Without meaning to, I snarl a demon's snarl, making her go on the defense before she stands down. She asks me how Jacob managed the tide since it had gotten pretty bad over there. I figure if Jacob knows about vampires, then Alice must know about the werewolves. It'll get me in trouble with her but I don't give a fuck since we're not friends anymore.

"He's a werewolf."

"You sure?

"I take it you weren't with Carlisle when he approached the tribe?"

"No."

"So tell me, what did you expect to find? I'm part of the supernatural, in case you forgot."

Speaking of supernatural, Jake comes back in with a glare on his face. I tell him that I'm still alive and that I can easily handle the vampire in front of me if I had to. Without giving anything away to Alice, I remind him of the encounter I had with Kunzite. He relaxes somewhat but remains suspicious. I tell him to go and I calmly remind him about the treaty, which forces him to leave. I promise that I'll contact him.

"She won't be staying long." I say.

He sighs and leaves. Once he's out of earshot, I ask Alice if Edward knows that she's here and the answer, surprisingly, is no. What the hell is he doing? No one really knows, she says, except that he checks in on the family every few months or so. I ask her where she has been and she says that she was in Denali. Jasper didn't want her to interfere with my life since they had promised Edward NOT to check in on me.

"The mother fucker." I growl.

"He still loves you, you know."

"I wish that was true."


	13. Chapter 13

"As long as I'm Sailor Night," I say to Alice. "Trouble will always follow me."

"Obviously."

I tell her about the fight I had with Kunzite and how he wanted me back with him. Somehow, I say, he had survived Sailor Moon's moon dusting and went into hiding after Metalia and Beryl were destroyed in that battle. I tell her of the youma that had attacked me at La Push and had caused me to fall off the highest cliff over there. I show her where the youma had attacked me, though the scars are pretty much gone, and she frowns. Someone had seen me fall in but Jacob came after me quickly and towed me back to shore.

"I'm still not sure why I didn't see him."

"I don't either."

James had figured out a blind spot the last time to go into hiding and it had been in La Push. Holy shit. That's probably it! He had been, literally, toeing the line near the reservation. There's something about the area that is messing around with Alice's visions! However, I don't know what that something is but I know that I'm close to an answer. It's on the tip of my tongue. Think, Sakura, think!

"I don't know the exact answer, Alice," I say. "But it has to something about the reservation that's messing around with your vision. The magic..."

 _Fuck!_ _That's what it is!_

The magic in the Quileute blood. If werewolves repel vampires, then the magic in their blood would probably repel those with spiritual gifts, like Alice's gift of seeing. It's an interesting theory and I know that's my answer. I sigh. I suppose I should power down but I don't and it's mainly for Jacob's sake. I ask if Carlisle and Esme know if she's here and she says no. Figures. Probably they don't want her to interfere with me. That fucking pisses me off. Who do they think they are? I allow a quiet snarl to escape my lips, making my companion flinch. None of the other Cullens have heard me snarl like a demon before.

"Your eyes are cold." Alice comments sadly.

"Did you expect me to be happy?"

Now she sighs before shaking her head. What did she expect out of me? To be whistling and skipping along, pretending that her brother hadn't planned on breaking my heart? Wrong. It hurt me and maybe more than I care to admit to. I suppose, in his mind, that he was doing right by me but just went about it the wrong way. Well, what's done is done. It was a rotten thing to do but it's done. It just means he never was the one for me. Figures. Why does fate always seem to screw me over? Ugh.

"You should get some hunting done."

"I'll be back in an hour."

I cock an eyebrow at her but don't say a word. I like Alice. I really do but it really bothers me that she just up and left me. Bleh. Now I sound like a clingy high school girl. I go back outside and meet with Jacob. He's brought along some of his pack members and they're not happy. Well, I'm cavorting with someone I had used to be friends with so I guess it's understandable, though I make it clear to them that she and I are NOT close, which makes them relax. Their guards are still up, don't get me wrong, but the hard look in their eyes soften.

"She had an errand to run if that's what you want to know." I say to Jacob.

"I have a couple of questions for you."

"Is that why you brought the rest of the pack? To interrogate me?"

Jacob has the grace to blush and I frown...right before I rip all of the guys a new one. Let's just say they got a taste of my killing intent. You do NOT piss me off. You piss me off then you get a taste of that intent. I'm not listed as the second most dangerous Sailor Scout for nothing (the most dangerous being Sailor Saturn). I totally get the fact that he's uncomfortable with me being close to a vampire, vegetarian or not, but to question my motives and integrity is a whole different ball game. I've said it before: I'm not perfect and nor do I claim to be. I've made mistakes in the past, major ones, but I wasn't subjected to such behavior such as being interrogated!

"I'm NOT friends with any of the Cullens, god damn it." I growl. "They cut me out of their lives."

"So why is this one back?" Jacob asks carefully.

"She has the gift of foresight. She saw me falling off of the cliff and assumed me to be dead. She didn't see me come back up."

It's totally clear now. Jacob had been in close proximity with me when he took me back to shore and that's why Alice hadn't been able to see me at all! The magic in his blood had clouded Alice's sight to the point of blindness. I smile at this revelation, which makes everyone look at me curiously. It makes a lot of sense, now. I explain to them about what I realized.

"That's why she wasn't able to find the other bloodsucker that I encountered. He figured out her blindspot."

"Was it that blonde one?" Embry asks.

"Yep. He's the only one in my personal history to get relatively close to killing me."

Jacob growls and starts to tremble. I place a calming hand on him and he stops. I try to redirect him by getting him back on track with his questions.

"Are they all coming back?"

"No. As I've said, she only came back to investigate my presumed death."

"How long is she here for?"

"Whatever it takes to satisfy her own investigation."

"Alright. That's all I got, then."

I sigh. I know he and I are still friends, despite the fact that I'm acquainted with vampires. I know that it's hard for him to accept that because of what he is. Jacob is a nice kid and I'd hate to lose his friendship. As a soldier, though, gaining one's trust and then losing it is a part of life. I've accepted that. Hell, I've used and abused such a trust once upon a time. It comes with the job. I go back inside my apartment to wait for Alice but Jacob follows me inside. I can feel his longing for me and the temptation to reject it...non-existent. Edward made his choice and, so, I am free to choose whomever that I want.

I look at Jacob and his longing for me is obvious. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance with a man? So I take a chance and give my tall companion a kiss on the lips. Thank goodness for my platform boots. I sigh. Fuck Edward. Fuck the Cullens. This is real. I've grown fond of Jacob so why not? Our kiss is warm and deep. It's nothing like the kisses Edward and I had shared, soft and tentative. He lacked passion, something that I have longed for and a chance for it has suddenly presented itself to me.

"Sakura..."

Jake suddenly goes stiff before he runs out the door. I hear Alice at the top of the stairs gasp. I look up and see that she's lost in a vision. Once she comes out of it, the most pained look appears on her beautiful face. I ask her if there's a serious problem and, I mean, a very serious problem. Serious, in Alice's mind, is putting it lightly.

"Edward..."

"What about him?"

She says nothing. Instead she gets on her phone and calls up a family member, who turned out to be Rosalie. Alice is demanding to speak with Carlisle but he's not there, apparently. She says something about being on a plane before asking if her sister had heard anything from Edward. Silence. Her face becomes appalled by whatever she's hearing on the phone.

"Why would you do that? Rosalie? How could you?!"

Alice explains that I'm alive and well, that something had clouded her foresight to prevent her seeing my apparent survival. To my utter surprise, she actually growls. Wow. She's pissed off! If this hadn't been a serious situation, I'd be laughing my ass off. Short girls are very dangerous when they're mad, you know? I ought to know and Jacob and his pack should know.

"Save your damn remorse for someone who believes it." Alice snarls.

"So what's with your brother?"

"He thinks you're dead and, now, he's heading to the Volturi."

That fucking idiot.


	14. Chapter 14

So I'm on a plane to Italy and it's a painfully long flight. I told Jacob that even though I don't really have feelings for him anymore, it is still my duty to make things right. Grudgingly, he accepted my reasoning but he wasn't happy. I reassure him that Edward had been planning to break my heart and that I was the one who dumped him. This made him a little more willing for me to go to Italy. I promised him a lot of time with him when I get back.

Alice didn't really want to ask for my help but if there's someone who needs help then I'm going to help, regardless of circumstances that currently stand. I'm sitting near by the window in my civilian state and all I can do is just think. Alice had seen her brother go to the Volturi and asking to die. That makes us both cringe. The future is subjective, though, so Edward can change his mind at anytime he wants.

"There's a chance that they'll say no-and they might." Alice explains. "Aro is very fond of Carlisle so he doesn't want to offend him."

"So..."

"Edward has a back up plan for that. If he exposes our existence, that can get him destroyed quickly."

 _Edward, you are a moron of the highest order!_

"If they agree to is request, then it's too late. If he comes up with a plan to offend them, we're too late. However, he tends to be dramatic...that can buy us some extra time."

 _Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

I really shouldn't be berating Edward but he is acting far too dramatic. He shouldn't have feelings for me anymore since he planned on ditching me. Yet, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the family so it's only right that I bring their son back to them. As for Rosalie, she deserves an ass-kicking for telling Edward that I was dead but I'll deal with her when I deliver her brother back to the family. For all I know, she could have said that to him out of her disdain for me but I'll hold off on that for now as well.

"Idiot," Alice mutters. "He keeps changing his mind on how he wants to die."

I had asked if Emmett and Jasper were along but she said no. It's possible that we could try to stop Edward but being the mind-reader that he is, he can easily pick up on their thoughts. It would make him act faster, though. That's why she needs me along. If he sees me alive and well, it could stop him dead in his tracks. It's a desperate move but when desperate times call for desperate measures...

"Tell me more about the Volturi." I say in a low whisper.

A business man in an aisle seat just moved himself in a position that made him look like he wasn't listening. He opens his laptop and puts on headphones so innocently so he doesn't get caught eavesdropping. I give him a very hard look, even though he's not paying attention. What an ass. I turn back to Alice

"How much did Edward tell you about them?"

"He told me that they're rulers of a warped version of the Silver Millennium and that they should never be antagonized unless you have a death wish...idiot."

My companion smiles before telling me that it's absolutely abnormal for vampires, like the Cullens, to live in one spot and in peace. The Denali clan is under the same speculation. Even James' coven was rather unusual. Vampires typically travel in pairs or alone. The Cullen family is the largest coven in existence, save for the Volturi. I tell her that I had seen a picture of the original three and it turns out that they are well over three thousand years old.

 _Holy shit. I won't be surprised if they know of the Silver Millennium._

"Five make up the family. The guard doesn't count."

The Volturi do sound like an actual royal family now that I know they have a guard. Wow. Alice continues to say that they don't confront others and that no one else is stupid enough to try. They only leave the city to hand down punishment to transgressors. That's what Edward is going for. If he can't get his request to die granted then he's going to try to expose the vampire race to the world. That will make them act and fast.

Alice suddenly falls into a trance. I sit quietly in the darkened cabin. Time has been passing quickly without me noticing it.

"Can I get you ladies a pillow?" A flight attendant asks quietly.

"No, thank you." Alice replies, her smile brilliant.

I give him a smile as well and he's overwhelmed. He stumbles back to his post, which makes me giggle in response. I turn to my companion to see what the verdict is.

"They're deliberating, but the ultimate decision is that they are going to deny his request."

"So what now?"

"They're interested in his gift and as such, they're going to offer him a place on the guard."

"Interesting."

"Indeed. They don't want to destroy him."

Alice is very attuned to her brother, that much I can tell. She's very much like Usagi when she receives her visions. They come in clear as crystal. It's like getting a play-by-play at a sporting event but on a more serious level. Now that Edward has been denied his request, he's going to walk out into the sun at noon. I growl quietly.

* * *

We make it to Italy and now we're speeding in a stolen Porche-a bright, yellow one, I might add, towards Volterra. On our way there, she asks me the date, which is the nineteenth. According to Alice, it's Saint Marcus day. A Father Marcus (Marcus of the Volturi) is supposed to have driven all vampires away from the city nearly fifteen hundred years ago on this day. It's a day of celebration and recognition for the police department since Volterra is an amazingly safe city.

"Geez, Edward." I say out loud.

"See what I mean?"

"Sheesh."

We come to almost a full stop and that fucking irritates me. Time is ticking fast but Alice says the climb up the hill is the only way into the city. We're both on edge. As soon as we're near the front, we're off like a shot, ignoring a guard. Then we get to another guard and he's very apologetic when he sees the striking woman at the wheel. I see a wad of bills in a gloved hands. I shake my head. I'm not going to bother asking about it. The guard waves us on through but we're slowed up by foot traffic. Suddenly, she hisses.

"They're _everywhere_!"

I transform into Sailor Night and I'm out of the car like a shot. I start to feel out for Edward and find him at clock tower. I'm weaving through the people with relative ease before I come to an area where I can't even move. That forces me to take a chance and jump from the rooftops. I don't even care if people see me anymore. The gasps that I hear from the crowd are nothing to me. I look ahead and I see Edward on his way out.

 _No!_

Damn it! I have to make it! I force myself to speed up as the tower starts to chime twelve noon. He can't see me but I can see him. I jump off the building that I'm on, making the crowd gasp, and land right in front of the golden idiot.

"Stop it right now, Edward!" I order.


	15. Chapter 15

Edward doesn't look like he's all there. It's like he's disillusioned, which he clearly is, by my death. I push him straight back into the darkness, which seems to snap him out of that dazed look. Of course, denial sets in and he goes on about how he didn't feel a thing when they ripped him apart. I slam him into a wall in another attempt to make him snap out of it. It's very difficult to convince him that I'm alive. He thinks that he's in hell. Oh, dear god, help me. The clock chimes again one final time.

"The Volturi is on their way."

I should have just said that in the first place because comprehension sets in on his face. He tries to push me out of the way to protect me but I resist. I quietly remind him that I don't back down from potential challenges. From the darkness, two robed figures appear before us, one taller than the other. Their faces are hidden beneath the hoods but their presence alone feels menacing.

"Greetings, gentlemen." Edward says. "I no longer require your services."

"Let's take this conversation elsewhere." The taller one orders.

"That won't be necessary. I haven't broken any rules, Felix."

"He meant away from the proximity of the sun." The shorter one says soothingly. "Let's seek better cover, shall we?"

As if noticing me for the first time, the shorter one greets me in a polite, even reverent, voice. He bows (along with the other), surprising my companion greatly. Huh. I guess I have more of a reputation in the world than I initially thought.

"It is an honor to have the legendary Child of Fate as a guest."

I simply nod in acknowledgement. Edward, the golden idiot, tries to get me out of the situation but the taller of the two, Felix, says that I have to go with. I shake my head at Edward and sigh. They already know about me, I say, but the idiot is being stubborn. I look outside and notice that a couple of people have noticed us and starting to get worried. I try to get Edward to see reason but he won't. Ugh. I suppose that comes with being an eternal teenager.

"The Child of Fate has a point, Edward." The short one says. "We don't want anymore unwanted attention and we do have rules to obey."

"Edward, just do as they say. Quit being stubborn." Alice's voice says.

Alice comes into the clock tower, ignoring the looks of civilians outside. Their worry just heightened but our new companion is standing around casually and swinging her arms around. No tension at all to be seen. I know it's just to save face since Edward refuses to behave. At least she has some sense in her brain, unlike her brother.

"We're not alone." I say. "We have an audience."

"Just listen to Dimitri." Alice says.

The shorter of the two vampires, Dimitri, just sighs in frustration.

"Enough."

I know that voice. I've encountered her in the distant past after a fight with Ann and Allen of the Doom Tree. I had chased a youma away and out of the city when we came upon each other by mistake. It was in a dark alley. She tried to feed on me, of course, by trying to incapacitate me with her illusion of pain. That failed her miserably and I ended up besting her in our little fight. I let her go simply because I was trying to repent for my actions against the Scouts. It's no wonder that the Volturi knows of my existence. Jane is part of the guard! Who knew?

"Hello, Jane." I greet her.

Edward and Alice, along with the other two, look at me in surprise. Jane explains that we met purely by accident and not under the best of circumstances. I'm itching to tell the two that I humiliated her but now's not the time. Besides which, my ex is a mind-reader so he should be able to pick up on that story. He looks at me and, per my personal habit, cocks an eyebrow at me. I smirk, making the other frown in wonder and worry.

"Follow me." Jane orders.

We follow her next and Edward puts his arm around me. I would brush it away but I don't want anyone else to pick up on our discord so I leave it alone. The other two guards follow behind us. Just to keep tension out of the air, my companion comments on Alice's presence and she says that it was a mistake on her part and that she felt the need to correct it. She explains to Edward that while I had been planning on cliff diving, I had been taken by surprise by a demon and that it caused me to fall off. Thankfully, an acquaintance of mine had fished me out on time and that I had recovered.

We come to a dead end of an alley that Jane had led us to and there appears to be a manhole. Alice drops in and, without missing a beat, I follow her in without hesitation. Edward and the remaining two guards follow after. The path we follow is slanting downwards until we come to the end of the tunnel, where there's a door. We go on through that one, which is slammed shut, and then there's a wooden door on the other side of the room that we're in. We step through that one and, to my chagrin...

 _Another hallway? Oh, for fuck's sake._

We go through the damn hallway and there's an elevator. Sheesh. We all take the elevator and step into this really nice reception area. To no one's surprise, there are no windows to be seen but it's a pretty nice place with leather furniture and beautiful, glossy tables that had crystal bowls and vases on top of them. Of course, this is obviously a front to relax the unsuspecting visitor. Well played, Volturi. Well played.

One thing did surprise me, though, and that was the human receptionist. As pretty as she is with her dark skin and green eyes, she is completely out of place here and for obvious reasons. She greets Jane politely and then she giggles. I glance over at Felix, who had his gaze on her, and figure that he must have winked or flirted with her. As for Edward, his jaw is rather stiff. If it isn't for the fact that he's a vampire, I'm pretty sure he would get lockjaw.

We pass through yet another set of doors and we are greeted with who appears to be Jane's twin. His hair is several shades darker but he's very attractive, much like his sister. He greets her with a hug and a kiss to each of her cheeks before turning his attention towards us. His crimson eyes widen when they fall upon me. Recovering his composure, he gives a pleasant smile. His sister, on the other hand, merely frowns.

"You're sent out for one, bring back two, and one Child of Fate." He comments lightly. "Aro will certainly be pleased with this development."

"Let's not keep him, then." Jane says.

Once more, we travel down another hallway. Instead of going through a set of golden doors that sit at the end of the hallway, we go through a secret passageway instead and we're back in the sewers. I hold back a sigh and just follow the twins. I suppose that these mazes are to help keep their existence a secret and to keep unwanted visitors out. Mercifully, though, the hallway isn't long. We enter what seems like a castle turret and there are actually windows in here. I would actually be in awe if it wasn't for the creatures that happen to be around.

 _Damn._

There's a handful of other vampires here as they lounge by the wayside. Their chatter falls silent as our party goes on by them. The phrase 'Child of Fate' is spoken several times in hushed tones. They are wearing modern-day clothes, such as slacks and sundresses...unlike the three vampires that sat upon their respective thrones. I recognize them immediately from Carlisle's paintings as Aro, Caius, and Marcus.

Aro greets Jane and Alec before turning his attention to us with an unusually bright smile. If it wasn't for the heavy energy in here, and for his reputation, I probably would have let my guard down just a hair. A HAIR. No more and no less. This is still the Volturi.

"Well, this is certainly an honor." He says in what seems to be a polite tone. "I never would have imagined to be in the presence of the Child of Fate."

"It seems that my reputation precedes me." I reply. "I suppose you got wind of my existence through Jane."

"Ah, yes. I did. I was fascinated when I heard that she was defeated. It could not have been a mere mortal to have beaten her. I had to investigate."

Edward quietly explains Aro's gift, which is like mind-reading except that he's limited to a single touch and he can read every single thought that has passed through one's mind. So that's how he found out about Jane's humiliation. A disgusted grunt comes out of the one that is known as Caius. The urge to smirk is killing me but I hold back. It just wouldn't be polite, after all, to mock a member of the royal guard. Aro turns back to Edward and scolds him as a grandparent would.

"Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted?"

"I am."

"Happy endings are so rare. Come, I must have the entire story."


	16. Chapter 16

Aro takes Edward's hand and seems frozen in time, like he's seeing something that the rest of us cannot. This must be his ability that Edward had explained. He's sifting through every last thought my companion has ever had. It's a frightening ability to have. I thank my lucky stars that I have a mental shield. There's something about him that rubs me the wrong way and not just because he feeds on humans.

"I find it interesting you can stand so close to her." Aro says.

"It's not without difficulty." Edward replies.

"I would never have believed it until now that the Child of Fate would be _la tua cantante._ "

Aro sighs dramatically. Edward looks at his predicament more as a very high price to pay. Sheesh. Maybe this is where he gets his theatrics. The vampire before us just seems too cheerful and I bet that, too, is a front on his part. I suppose it's not too different from me considering what I hide inside of this body. He continues on about how gratified by Carlisle's success as a vegetarian vampire and that he had expected to weaken overtime because of this unorthodox path he had chosen.

"But your restraint, dear Edward, is much to be celebrated! Wouldn't you agree, child?"

"Please, call me Sakura." I urge politely. "His restraint is, indeed, impressive."

"I've seen that you're immune to his extraordinary gift. Would you do me the honor?"

He reaches out for my hand. I take his, which feels rather brittle, and he focuses for a mere couple of seconds when he realizes that he's getting nothing out of me. His face, which had been rather amazed, returns to a state of calm and of outward friendliness. I can feel Edward's smugness as Aro drifts back to his subordinates. He won't be so smug after this. I can guarantee it.

"I would imagine you'd be immune to other gifts, such as Jane's?"

Jane hisses and I smirk at her expense. I explain that she had attempted to attack me with her gift ages ago but it had backfired on her then. I allow for the fact that she could have gotten stronger since then and allow her to have another go at me. She's incredulous at my offer but doesn't hesitate in walking forward for another shot. However, Edward doesn't like this at all and steps in and I get a first-hand experience of how others suffer at Jane's hands.

 _The illusion of pain._

"Edward, you idiot!" I scold. "Stand down, Jane!"

When she doesn't, I let some of my killing intent loose and the message is very well received. Aro raises his hand to call for peace, though I can tell he's shaken (if not enthralled). I tell him if Jane stands down, as I ordered, then I will let up as well. At his command, Jane stops but she glares at me. I return the glare with one of my own, ignoring the multiple offers of a place on the guard. Caius wants me eliminated since I'm not one of their kind. I know too much and could easily expose their secrets to the world. Edward reminds him that there are few humans in on their charade as well.

"True." Caius concedes. "However, once they are no longer useful to us, they are discarded."

"Aro," I say. "Might I remind you that I, myself, am a myth? I have to keep my secret under wraps as well."

He nods. It's at this point that I allow Circe to make herself known, startling all three kings and their guards. Circe is the biggest secret I have kept from the world. Not only am I her host but she is considered to be one of the most powerful demons to have walked the planet according to many legends and myths written. She is part of the reason why I'm called the Child of Fate and, I point out, there are many people who believe in her existence and there are those who call themselves demon hunters (some legit).

"So, once again, I have to keep her and myself within the shadows like you and the rest of your kind."

"She speaks the truth, Caius." Aro says gently. "She has not disrespected our secret and she is very much part of the supernatural community."

"I have lived for 900 years and not once have I spilled any secrets relating to the supernatural."

Caius is NOT happy with this development and neither are Felix and, especially, Jane. I smirk at her before allowing a deep growl to escape, making her flinch. She would just love to have me out of the picture. Felix, on the other hand, would just love for me to be on the guard. The lusty looks he has been giving me just gives him away. Eh, personally, Felix isn't all that bad-looking (and Circe agrees with me on this). The deal-breaker: he's a vampire that drinks human blood. It always seems to me that the all the good ones are either taken, gay, fictional characters, or a sinister vampire that serves for the Volturi. Tragedy...please, note the sarcasm.

"Are we free to go then?" Edward asks.

"Of course, of course." Aro replies heartily. "But do visit again. It has been enthralling!"

I notice that Felix is getting restless and he catches my gaze. He sends me a wink to which I smirk at before turning my attention elsewhere. Aro reassures his guard member that Heidi will be along shortly and to have patience. I really don't want to know what he means by that but I find out anyway as we start down the hallway back to the reception room.

"You might want to take this Edward." The Volturi king says, stopping us.

Edward takes the black cloak that had come off of Felix and puts it on. He says nothing but I thank Aro for his thoughtfulness. He makes one final request of us and that is if we wait until dark to leave. I nod before we head on out with Dimitri in the lead. According to Alice, we don't get out fast enough. A group of tourists are making their way down the way we came from and it dawns on me. Dear god. I notice a small, dark-haired, Italian woman with a rosary. Her face is panicked and I know it's because she's sensing impending doom. I hear that familiar voice welcoming them to Volterra as the tourists file into the room.

At the end of the group, a tall woman in a tight-fitting dress appears. Her red eyes give her away as a part of the Volturi guard. Dimitri welcomes the one, now known as Heidi, home. She smiles but she's too distracted by my presence before her dull, red eyes widen in recognition. I just give her a blank look before turning away. I'm tired and I want to get out of this god-forsaken place before I go ballistic.

"Nice fishing." Dimitri says.

"Thank you, kindly." Heidi replies.

 _Holy shit._

No wonder Heidi is dressed the way she is. She acts as a fisherman and also as bait to lure unsuspecting prey into the place. I just take a deep breath and continue walking down the hallway, ignoring all of the screams of the innocents. This is completely against my nature! I just watched a whole group of innocent people go into a room of thirsty vampires and allowed them to die. I sigh and try to tune out the screaming.


End file.
